In vitro performance of xantan hydrogels containing local anesthetic encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers for topical application at oral mucosa

• Grant number: 17/05136-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: October 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Michelle Franz Montan Braga Leite
• Grantee: Denise Juncom Codello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/14457-5 - Lipid-based nanocarriers (SLN/NLC and remote-loading liposomes) used to improve the upload and potency of local anesthetics, AP.TEM

Abstract

Local anesthesia is one of the most painful and stressful procedure for the patients in the dental office. Topical anesthetics are used to minimize pain during needle puncture and local anesthetic injection; however, most of the commercially available formulations does not guarantee a painless procedure. The objective of the present study is to evaluate in vitro mechanical properties, mucoadhesion and permeation ability of hydrogels composed of xanthan (2%) containing local anesthetics encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) aiming at a future application in dental topical anesthesia. Xanthan hydrogels containing lidocaine and prilocaine associated or not with NLC will be compared to the commercial formulation EMLA. Mechanical properties and mucoadhesion will be evaluated in a texture analyzer, and in vitro permeation across pig buccal mucosa epithelium will be evaluated in Franz type diffusion cell. We expect that the hydrogels present good mechanical and mucoadhesion properties and a high ability to cross oral epithelium, for future application in dentistry. (AU)